C.V. Raman is best known to the scientific community for the effect which bears his name and other derivative terms. He was also a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. Little else is generally known about his life. Fiercely independent and critical of Government policies, Raman was often misunderstood and maligned; however his commitment to science and to its growth in India never wavered. This account deals with all these aspects of Raman's life and work and places them in their historical and cultural context. Numerous quotations help capture the mood and excitement of those times. The book is not only a lively biography of a colourful personality, but also required reading for anyone with a serious interest in and concern for Indian science.